This invention relates to touch fastener laminates, such as laminates having either hooks or loops, for securing flooring and other surfaces over wide areas.
The potential usefulness of hook and loop fastening systems to secure finish materials to wide area surfaces was recognized long ago. For example, German Registered Utility Model DE-U-7029524, May 8, 1970, to Velcro France, suggested the fastening of flexible and rigid finishing materials to walls, floors and ceilings. Development of a tool to prevent premature engagement of the hook and loop fasteners when positioning a rigid member on a rigid surface was also known, see U.S. Pat. No. 3,475,810, to Velcro, Inc. For attaching carpets, it was proposed in 1979 in British Patent 1,546,901 to secure long loops to a light fabric by deep needle punching and to attach that fabric to the surface of an underlayment of hair felt or resilient foam. Over the years, others have focused on the same potential for hook and loop fasteners for wide surfaces, see e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,817,015; 4,649,069; 4,744,189; 4,810,546; 4,822,658; 4,974,384; 5,042,221; 5,060,443; DE 4228597 (published application), and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,191,692; 5,482,755; 6,298,624; 6,306,477 and 6,460,303.
Despite this, little commercial use has been made of hook and loop fastening to secure finish materials on wide surfaces, due to lack of hook and loop fasteners of appropriate function and cost.